4 things we learned as Barcelona earn Clasico bragging rights over Real Madrid in pre-season win

Barcelona claimed Clasico bragging rights over Real Madrid as two goals from Pau Victor powered them to a 2-1 victory at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Both sides were missing some of their biggest stars but an entertaining encounter still ensued with the likes of Luka Modric, Robert Lewandowski and Endrick all in action.

The two Spanish giants are dreaming of La Liga glory in the upcoming 2024/25 season, but what did we learn from this 'friendly' encounter over in the United States?

Pau Victor continues first-team emergence at Barcelona

Barca youngster Victor is taking his chances where Vitor Roque has been unable to so far.

The 22-year-old came up with two goals to swing the Clasico in his side's favour, firstly nodding in from close range after Robert Lewandowski's touch from a cross before prodding in a second. Both strikes were clinical tap-ins but manager Hansi Flick won't be able to ignore him after his performances in the summer friendlies, having also struck against Manchester City.

Speaking post-match, Flick said: "We will see what happens to Pau Victor. Two games, three goals...not bad. The door to the first team is always open."

Real Madrid's many absentees prove costly

Real Madrid's starting lineup in the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta should look a fair bit different to the XI that slipped to defeat at MetLife Stadium.

It was still a team full of familiar faces including Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rudiger and Luka Modric, while Vinicius Junior showed his class with his first summer appearance from the bench, but the likes of Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Federico Valverde and Dani Carvajal were all still absent after their international excursions.

It was an even enough fixture with possession split down the middle and 11 shots for each side, but Nico Paz's strike proved to be little more than a consolation late on.

Endrick still has plenty to learn

While Mbappe still has to wait for his first taste of El Clasico, Brazilian prodigy Endrick encountered the fixture's hostility as he started in attack alongside Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz.

The teenager was given some rough treatment by defender Antonio Rudiger in training recently but the tough love is yet to reap its rewards on the pitch. He completed 11 of only 12 passes and couldn't hit the target with either of his two shots before coming off in the 68th minute.

Endrick will likely become a bench player in his first full season at Madrid and will be able to learn from more experienced attackers in the squad, but he looked a little out of his depth in his first Clasico.

Mooted transfer targets make Barca returns

Barca are known to be willing to sell pretty much most of their players this summer to generate funds for incoming arrivals.

Brazilian winger Raphinha has been consistently linked with an exit during the summer transfer window, while Ilkay Gundogan has also been the subject of reported interest from the Middle East.

Neither are thought to be particularly keen on leaving Catalonia this year and each made their first appearances of pre-season over the weekend, coming on as substitutes to boost the options at manager Flick's disposal.

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